Food, fixes and notes from the casual coastal sailor.

[Jim in Halifax]

Funny how we (in North America anyway) have been re-programmed to negatively notice smokers and cigarettes...I saw the smoke before the smoker. And there's wine too! Kris, there should be a warning that this is an adult-only post!

 

[accnick]

Funny how we (in North America anyway) have been re-programmed to negatively notice smokers and cigarettes...I saw the smoke before the smoker. And there's wine too! Kris, there should be a warning that this is an adult-only post!

Not to mention that sultry side eye she's giving us...

 

[Israel Hands]

Women know the power of the eyes!

 

[accnick]

Women know the power of the eyes!

Yes. Yes, they do. I'm a sucker for pretty eyes, whatever their color.

 

[Cruisin Loser]

knot log

Taffrail log, as it’s mounted on the taffrail? It does not give you knots, it gives you nautical miles traveled, it’s a totalizer (log), rather than a knotmeter. You can of course take readings an hour apart and there’s your knots.

I have 2, and still use them in when doing Marion-Bermuda in the celestial division. They are much more accurate, we’ve found, than even a well calibrated paddlewheel speedo. Many boats use them as you are likely to get much better dead reckoning results. I’ve used the one many times, my second is new unused in the box with all accessories just in case.

I’m skipping that this year, at the request of the wife to just go cruising, though we’ll do the Maine classic regattas.

 

[Cruisin Loser]

View attachment 580524

Narwhal is incredibly beautiful, and was in perfect condition when she was anchored next to us in Boothbay last summer for the Shipyard Cup. The owners are lovely people.

 

[Elegua]

Taffrail log, as it’s mounted on the taffrail? It does not give you knots, it gives you nautical miles traveled, it’s a totalizer (log), rather than a knotmeter. You can of course take readings an hour apart and there’s your knots.

I have 2, and still use them in when doing Marion-Bermuda in the celestial division. They are much more accurate, we’ve found, than even a well calibrated paddlewheel speedo. Many boats use them as you are likely to get much better dead reckoning results. I’ve used the one many times, my second is new unused in the box with all accessories just in case.

I’m skipping that this year, at the request of the wife to just go cruising, though we’ll do the Maine classic regattas.

I have a later Walker one that also has a knot meter. Nifty bit of kit I hope never to have to use.

 

[Kris Cringle]

Old photos tell long stories, like photographic archeology.

Northeast Harbor (on Mount Desert Island, Me.), is typical of the obvious suspended animation along the more remote areas of the NE coast. Those familiar with NEH will recognize the streetscape.

We are presently at the bottom of year-round vibrancy. Sure, these coastal towns and villages have a seasonal influx that looks vibrant (especially NEH with Acadia National Park), but photos a century or more old, show the more complex streetscapes and buildings that supported a year-round culture.

This is even more so on islands that seemed to peak in population over a century ago.

 

[accnick]

Old photos tell long stories, like photographic archeology.

Northeast Harbor (on Mount Desert Island, Me.), is typical of the obvious suspended animation along the more remote areas of the NE coast. Those familiar with NEH will recognize the streetscape.

We are presently at the bottom of year-round vibrancy. Sure, these coastal towns and villages have a seasonal influx that looks vibrant (especially NEH with Acadia National Park), but photos a century or more old, show the more complex streetscapes and buildings that supported a year-round culture.

This is even more so on islands that seemed to peak in population over a century ago.


View attachment 580712

There's now a bank in the right-hand corner of the photo, where the house was. The buildings on the left side of the photo are still pretty much as they were then.

Fortunately, there is not much to do or see in Northeast Harbor, and it's quite a ways from anything. But it does have a small, protected harbor that is still a mix of working lobster boats and pleasure craft, which seem to co-exist, by and large, with minimal rancor.

We have more in common with the lobster boats and their crews than with the big yachts that populate the marina in late summer. Fortunately, it is a small marina, and you can't get anything over about 130' into the harbor.

It's a real contrast to towns like Newport that have undergone massive transformation from a working waterfront to a tourist trap of bars, restaurants, fancy hotels, shops full of souvenirs, megayachts, and crowds everywhere. Sort of like Bar Harbor on steroids.

The boatyards, blacksmiths, hardware stores, sailmakers, and tradesmen are gone from the Newport waterfront. The land is just too valuable for that. A lot of this has happened in just the last 30 years or so.

The small towns in New England seem to change the least and the slowest, but location drives everything.

 

[Kris Cringle]

There's now a bank in the right-hand corner of the photo, where the house was. The buildings on the left side of the photo are still pretty much as they were then.

Quite a few buildings are intact, although more seasonal 'shop' buildings have been tucked into the left, but nearly all their use has changed.

High end clothing, expensive art/jewelry and the typical seasonal fair. There are very few that cater to a year round population, which has dwindled. The seasonal change is similar here but much less drastic.

I don't see it as a bad thing. The inevitable migration of year-rounders is pretty universal. The islands especially have become wintertime ghost towns compared to a century and more ago.

 

[dacapo]

Narwhal is incredibly beautiful, and was in perfect condition when she was anchored next to us in Boothbay last summer for the Shipyard Cup. The owners are lovely people.

you're welsome

 

[Kris Cringle]

There's now a bank in the right-hand corner of the photo, where the house was. The buildings on the left side of the photo are still pretty much as they were then.

Fortunately, there is not much to do or see in Northeast Harbor, and it's quite a ways from anything. But it does have a small, protected harbor that is still a mix of working lobster boats and pleasure craft, which seem to co-exist, by and large, with minimal rancor.

We have more in common with the lobster boats and their crews than with the big yachts that populate the marina in late summer. Fortunately, it is a small marina, and you can't get anything over about 130' into the harbor.

It's a real contrast to towns like Newport that have undergone massive transformation from a working waterfront to a tourist trap of bars, restaurants, fancy hotels, shops full of souvenirs, megayachts, and crowds everywhere. Sort of like Bar Harbor on steroids.

The boatyards, blacksmiths, hardware stores, sailmakers, and tradesmen are gone from the Newport waterfront. The land is just too valuable for that. A lot of this has happened in just the last 30 years or so.

The small towns in New England seem to change the least and the slowest, but location drives everything.

This grab-photo of inner NEH was taken a few hours ago.

Mostly working boats in the harbor enjoying the 'off season-local rate' (could be $0/ft.).

These owners will mostly (if not all) live inland where real estate is more affordable. The downtowns are of little use to them, most will head to their nearest large chain stores.

Never seen so much space at the dinghy docks here...

 

[accnick]

This grab-photo of inner NEH was taken a few hours ago.

Mostly working boats in the harbor enjoying the 'off season-local rate' (could be $0/ft.).

These owners will mostly (if not all) live inland where real estate is more affordable. The downtowns are of little use to them, most will head to their nearest large chain stores.

Never seen so much space at the dinghy docks here...

The fishermen get a discounted dockage rate for the winter, so they move off the moorings and onto the docks that are populated by pleasure boats in the summer. The docks are much more protected from SSE winds that can funnel down the entrance, although the islands outside the harbor block the worst of that.

Sunbeam is sitting on her regular dock at top left.

And the fog creeps in on little cat feet...

Yeah, the dinghy dock looks nothing like that in the summer, does it?

 

[Kris Cringle]

I've only used my emergency tiller once in 22 seasons, but I've used it several times over the years for a handy breaker bar onboard. This is the third backer plate for a chainplate I've replaced so I know the drill.

The 15mmSS bolts that go through glass 1/4" thick 'hat frame' are embedded in the rusty mild steel backer plate, inside. They simply shear off with enough leverage (you can't budge them without an extension).

The threaded backer plate that was inserted into the fiberglass hat frame in 1960 by the Hallmatic yard in the UK, was mild steel. Alden claims that they were very unhappy when this was discovered some years after the 52 hulls were built.

While all the hidden glass work is very clean even beneath the furniture. It's startling when you uncover the bow area under the ceiling.

After a few years of sailing and racing (this boat raced to Bermuda at least once), it came to Aldens attention that the big bow sections 'oil canned'.

So Alden added another sheet to the roll of plans for the boat that instructed adding a longitudinal stringer just below the berths. The stringer was glassed in roughly without much regard for the finish. This photo shows they also added another layer of glass on the 'ribs'.

 

[Kris Cringle]

Meanwhile, next door in the boatyard, the Yanmar in our son's 5K boat was saved. The boys made a good decision to hire a pro to get it sorted out. The cost, another 5K for new injectors, rebuild injection pump, replace bent valve pushrods and a general going over. I heard it roar back to life.

The mechanic still has a few things to do such as bring back a new Vee belt or two.

Seems like a lot of money to me but it is split in half by the two owners. The boat is worth zilch without some form to auxiliary.

Meanwhile, my son gave a quick fly casting demo a couple yards from the boats. He gave me a nice beginner 9' saltwater outfit for my birthday. It'll fit nicely on the boat.

The last time I fly-fished, I was younger than he is today. I am starting from square one but maybe it's like riding a bicycle?

He included a few of his ties. I'm glad to see he has several passions. It's good to have passions.

 

[Kris Cringle]

I've not seen the authentic David by Michelangelo (you have to wait in line in Florence Italy), but I've seen the replica outside. It's quite amazing and the present weirdness by some would never have occurred to me. The human form has been expressed beautifully for eons.

 

[Kris Cringle]

On the 'cooking on a boat' FB group, it's little wonder this cruiser is anchored off Sicily:

 

[130lights]

On the 'cooking on a boat' FB group, it's little wonder this cruiser is anchored off Sicily:

Yum! Fresh picked 🍅 !

 

[Kris Cringle]

After more than 60 years, this (I've pulled worse) mild steel backing plate is surprisingly sound. It's only purpose is to take the threads of the bolts through the SS chainplate. In actual load from the rig, the hat frame takes the pull from the bolts. It's nice to know that even when a mistake is made, Alden of Boston designed and built a chainplate anchoring system that stands the test of time, even with an inferior part involved. But the bloody 60 years of rust goes everywhere.

The SS chainplate looks fine, no cracks or crevice corrosion, but I'll replace it.

It's handy having a metal shop right here in the harbor. I'll leave the pieces off with instructions to build/bend/thread the exact same two pieces, only make the backing plate out of SS as well.

 

[Not so fast]

I throughly enjoy that this thread has become a diary for Kris Cringle. I have no idea what he will post next, but I'm always interested!